A Hail of Bolts

The brotherhood of the Night’s Watch has pledged to keep Westeros safe from all the horrors that live north of The Wall. Forsaking any life they might’ve had before joining, they are entirely committed to their vows. Within their number are the Builders. They maintain the fortifications in and around The Wall, as well as all the arms and armor used by the Night’s Watch. Their forges create some of the best and hardiest gear, including the valuable crossbow. While there are the massive ballistae that act as siege weapons, as well as the Scorpions that are light enough to be taken to battle afield, they also create hand-held crossbows. They heavily train with them, becoming a fighting force of their own. Next month, Night’s Watch players will be able to add the Builder Crossbowmen to their forces. Let’s take a look at how they operate.

Being the ones that built the crossbows, the Builders are also experts in their use, having trained intensely with them. This results in the to-hit number for their crossbow attack being a 3+ and rolling seven dice when at full ranks, and even when one rank has been destroyed. The power in these “little instruments of death” is so great that they can attack at Long Range and apply Sundering. The crossbows aren’t the only armaments the Builders have. They also can go into battle wielding longswords. While they are competent in their use, the Builder Crossbowmen would still prefer to reach out and touch the enemy at range. And, if an enemy wants to do them engage via a charge, the unit’s Ready! Aim! Fire! order lets them get an extra attack in before the enemy closes in.

On the defensive side of things, the unit shows their weakness. With a Defense Save of 6+ and a Morale value of 7+, this is a unit that really does not want the enemy to attack them. Their moderate speed of 5 also means that they can’t outrun most enemy units wanting to chase them down. However, the Builder Crossbowmen would really hope that their last-ditch attack thins the enemy ranks as much as possible.

The Builder Crossbowmen are a perfect unit for Night’s Watch players who want to add some ranged attack damage to their force. They should be kept well away from the enemy, but within range of their trusty crossbows. Supported by units able to take a melee hit if necessary, they can do a lot to bring victory to the Black.

The Builder Crossbowmen will be available September 6th. Be sure to ask your LGS to get you some.